1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image pickup device, a method of controlling the image pickup device, and a recording medium, and more particularly, to an auto focus control technology in an image pickup device which performs an auto focus control operation using a contrast detection method.
2. Related Art
In the past, in image pickup devices such as a digital still camera picking up a still image, an auto focus mechanism which can automatically take the focus by measuring a distance from an object and adjusting a position of a lens was known.
Since the auto focus mechanism automatically takes the focus without a user's manual operation, it is possible to remarkably simplify the manipulation of the image pickup device.
However, since the mechanism for detecting a focused focal point is simple, a contrast detecting method was employed in such an image pickup device (for example, see JP-A-2003-195156).
In the contrast detecting method, the auto focus control is performed on the basis of a principle that the contrast ratio of an image obtained at the focused focal point is the highest.
The contrast detecting method is a detection method of substantially driving a lens to set the position having the highest contrast as the focused focal point. Accordingly, when the distance from an object varies due to shake or the like, correct contrast information cannot be obtained and thus it is not possible to accurately perform the auto focus control.